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Jaguar has let its kitten out into the open to play with the C-Class, 3 Series and the A4. The XE was launched amidst much fanfare at the 2016 Auto Expo.
BREAKING: 2018 KTM 790 Duke to be launched in India post-Diwali 2018, pre-bookings already open
EXCLUSIVE: KTM India set to launch 125 Duke in India next month?
Production-spec Tata Harrier SUV side profile revealed
2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga to be launched in India on November 21
India-spec 2019 Nissan Kicks unveiled In Mumbai
Engine spec comparision: new Hyundai Santro vs Renault Kwid vs Maruti Suzuki Celerio
F1nal Fantasy: Driving a Lotus-Renault E20 Formula 1 car at Paul Ricard
On the joys and hardships of motorsport writing...


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In recognition of National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day on September 1st, the Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) urges parents to take preventative actions to safeguard their children’s identities. Child Identity Theft is a growing problem. According to recent data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft for those under 19 years old grew 60% in three years.
“Child Identity Theft is a disturbing trend as children are 35 times more likely to become victims of identity theft than adults,” said Secretary of State Robert J Rodriguez, who oversees the Division of Consumer Protection. “The widespread adoption of technology products has introduced new challenges to parenthood. Parents must now also learn the behaviors that put children more at risk, how to protect them, and what to do when children become targeted.”
Today’s children have been raised in a digital world and unlike past generations, their exposure to these technologies starts very young and makes them vulnerable to the dangers that lurk in technology’s shadows. The scale of the issue keeps growing under the increasing influence of digital technology, excessive screen time, social media, remote learning, and digital purchases in our lives. Products used by children are not nearly as privacy protected as they should be and contribute to the growing problem of Child Identity Theft. According to the FTC, Child Identity Theft occurs when someone uses a child's personal information to wrongfully get services or benefits, or to commit fraud.
The Impact of Child ID Theft:
Child ID fraud is expensive and detrimental. According to a study by Javelin Strategy and Research, fixing child identity theft takes longer to resolve than fraud against adults and costs the average U.S. family $372 out-of-pocket on top of any fraudulent charges. In one year, fraud losses linked to child identity theft totaled $918 million. The crime of child identity theft may go on longer than other types of identity theft, because young children are less likely to use credit or take steps to help protect their identities. Someone whose identity is stolen as a child can feel the effects for years resulting in financial losses and missed opportunities. As a young adult, they may encounter problems securing a student loan, a first credit card, apartment, or utilities. The best approach is to prevent it and look for warning signs to protect your child’s credentials.
Warning Signs to Look For:
- Pre-approved credit offers in your child’s name: this is a sign that someone else has used your child’s social security number to fraudulently obtain credit
- Any communication addressed to your child from the IRS
- Collection calls or past-due notices in your child’s name
- Marketing offers for products and services that arrive in your child’s name
Tips For Parents/Guardians to Safeguard Children’s Identities:
Consider freezing your child’s credit. Security freezes are free but must be placed separately with each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). The process varies between credit bureaus, but it’s not difficult and takes far less time and effort to freeze your child’s credit than to remediate a fraud case after the fact.
Make ID theft prevention a habit. Securely store all your child’s foundational identity documents (birth certificate, Social Security card, insurance cards) away from people in your circle. Any paper or electronic record that includes your child’s Social Security number should be stored securely, whether that means in password-protected, encrypted cloud storage or a locked file cabinet or safe.
Set reasonable boundaries around technology and monitor online activities. For many children, the line between the physical and virtual worlds is already blurry. Children with unrestricted and unmonitored internet access are at greater risk of experiencing the exposure of their personal information. Children’s information is collected in many places, including social media platforms, smart devices, video games and mobile applications are also gathering their information. Given the rise of data breaches, children’s identities are increasingly at risk of being exposed on the dark web and online forums where identities are illegally bought and sold.
- Make sure that kids are registered as under 13 on the sites and applications they use. This limits the data that can be collected on them and the content they see.
- Take hardware and software seriously. Buy products only from reputable companies, installing software updates immediately when available and restricting data collection to the strictest settings a service allows.
- Secure Your Child’s Cell Phone: If you've trusted your child with a smartphone, make sure their device is as secure as possible by adjusting settings for location, screen time, passcodes, and more.
- Online Games: ensure kids play in disguise with a cool safe game name and don’t share personal information on gaming account profiles
- Internet Connected Toys: Parents must be present when toys are being set-up. Some toys come equipped with microphones, voice recognition, GPS enabled wearables and artificial intelligence that allow software interaction between the child and the toy. Many can put a child’s privacy at risk. For tips on privacy precautions with technology toys, please see information from this December 2020 Consumer Alert.
- Social Media: Make sure your social media account is set to ‘private’. Most social media is public by default.
Empower children to practice online safety:
- Involve kids in routine privacy practices, such as creating safe passwords in a password manager or keeping up with online safety news.
- Remind kids that they can come to you when a questionable situation arises when they are online.
- Talk to kids about keep everything updated: make sure that all devices, software, and firmware are up to date.
What to do if your child is a victim of ID theft:
- If you notice fraudulent activities on your child’s credit report, don’t waste time. Immediately file an identity theft report with the FTC at identitytheft.gov and your local police department. The police are required to provide identity theft victims with one free copy of the incident report.
- Contact each credit reporting agency to report the theft and place a freeze on your child’s credit record to prevent further damage.
- Contact every business where your child’s information was misused, ask to close the fraudulent account and flag it to show it is a result of identity theft.
- Contact the NYS Division of Consumer Protection’s Identity Theft Prevention and Mitigation Program, which serves to help victims by walking through the steps necessary to recover from the damages of identity theft.
The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.
For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.

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ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控) yesterday said that capital expenditure this year might exceed the record US$2 billion spent last year, as demand for advanced packaging and testing services for chips used in high-performance computing, vehicles and 5G-related devices continues to be robust.
Long-term service agreements are in place through next year, ASE said, adding that discussions are being held with customers about further extensions, which could result in further capacity being added for loyal customers.
The world’s biggest chip assembler and tester said that the imbalance of semiconductor supply and demand is likely to extend beyond what it initially thought.
“Right now, we believe capacity and supply constraints will last beyond 2023,” ASE chief operating officer Tien Wu (吳田玉) told a virtual investors’ conference.
“We have seen broad-base growth in all sectors, with momentum carrying over into at least 2022,” Wu said, adding that production lines would be fully utilized.
He attributed slow equipment deliveries and uneven material supplies to the longer-than-expected supply crunch, although most companies in the semiconductor supply chain have announced capital expenditure to increase capacity.
Revenue from ASE’s core assembly and testing manufacturing (ATM) business this year is expected to increase two times faster than the global semiconductor industry’s annual rate of 5 to 10 percent, Wu said.
Gross margin of the ATM business would likely outpace record growth seen in 2014, he added.
Consolidated revenue this year would exceed last year’s NT$567 billion (US$20.38 billion), while last year was a 20 percent increase over 2020’s NT$477 billion, he said.
Gross margin would surpass last year’s 19.4 percent, Wu said.
Revenue would be fueled by robust end-market demand and a rising trend in outsourcing to integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), which design, make and sell chips, Wu said.
The chip crunch of the past two years has accelerated the pace of outsourcing to IDMs, he added.
It has also broken some rigid rules, he said, citing broad changes in supply-chain management within the auto industry.
To secure as many components as possible, automakers have become more willing to accept new suppliers, new materials and different qualification standards, Wu added.
The ATM business is likely to post US$1 billion this year from customers in the automotive segment, he said.
Revenue in ASE’s system-in-package service is expected to total US$500 million for this year, up from US$330 million last year, thanks to customers’ capacity expansions and growing product portfolios, he said.
ASE reported that net profit last year increased 132 percent to NT$63.91 billion, up from NT$27.59 billion in 2020, while earnings per share rose to NT$14.84 last year, up from NT$6.47 in 2020.
Disposal gains of US$1.46 billion from the sale of factories in China helped to boost last year’s earnings.
This quarter, ASE expects revenue in its ATM business to drop 4 percent from last quarter due to fewer working days — which is better than usual — while revenue from its electronics manufacturing services should total about NT$60 billion.
STEADY: Prices are to rebound following inventory rebuilding demand, TrendForce said, with Samsung Electronics Co further trimming capacity as it slashes DDR4 lines The contract prices of DRAM chips are to rise by as much as 18 percent sequentially this quarter — the first price upticks in about eight quarters — driven mainly by inventory rebuilding demand for DRAM chips used in mobile devices and PCs, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) projected yesterday. The price rebound is led by a quarterly increase of mobile DRAM chips, which are to climb between 13 percent and 18 percent quarter-on-quarter this quarter, which has not been seen since the fourth quarter of 2021, the Taipei-based market researcher predicted. Likewise, the price of mainstream PC DDR4 DRAM is expected to bounce
SOLID FOUNDATION: Given its decades of expertise in megatronics, manufacturing and robotics, Japan has the wherewithal to create its own AI, Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp plans to help build an artificial intelligence (AI) tech-related ecosystem in Japan to meet demand in a country eager to gain an edge in this emerging technology. The US company will seek to partner with Japanese research organizations, companies and start-ups to build factories for AI, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday during opening remarks in a meeting with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura. The company is to set up an AI research laboratory, and invest in local start-ups and educate the public on using AI, Huang said. Huang earlier this week met with Japanese Prime
A Hong Kong court postponed a court hearing on troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande Group’s (恆大集團) winding-up petition scheduled for yesterday until Jan. 29. Evergrande is trying to win support from its creditors for a plan to restructure more than US$300 billion in debt to stave off liquidation. The company’s lawyer told the court it was requesting an adjournment to “refine” its new debt restructuring plan. The Hong Kong High Court has postponed the hearing over Evergrande’s potential liquidation several times. Judge Linda Chan (陳靜芬) had said in October that yesterday’s hearing would be the last before a decision is handed down. Chan
Huawei Technologies Co (華為) is among a field of “very formidable” competitors to Nvidia Corp in the race to produce the best artificial intelligence (AI) chips, Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday. Huawei, Intel Corp and an expanding group of semiconductor start-ups pose a stiff challenge to Nvidia’s dominant position in the market for AI accelerators, Huang told reporters in Singapore. Shenzhen-based Huawei has grown into China’s chip tech champion and returned to the spotlight this year with an advanced made-in-China smartphone processor. “We have a lot of competitors, in China and outside China,” Huang said. “Most of our competitors


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A Royal Caribbean Group spokesman said his company is reviewing this development, and a Carnival Corp. spokesman deferred comment in advance of the earnings report scheduled for Friday.
But Cruise Lines International Association and the US Travel Association effusively greeted the news.
'Our members look forward to welcoming international travelers, including from the United Kingdom and the European Union, back to the United States while continuing to prioritize public health,' CLIA said.
Cruising an important driver of international visits to US
CLIA called the cruise industry an important driver of international visits to the US, prompting approximately 2.5m international visitors to embark on a cruise stateside in 2019, representing nearly 18% of all US cruise embarkations. Of this, 930,000 were Europeans, representing 5.9% of inbound European travel to the US.
According to the association, international cruise visitors in the US spend $4.5bn annually on hotel stays, transportation, retail and other US businesses, supporting nearly 60,000 American jobs. Total economic impact is estmated at $9.7bn.
The US Travel Association likewise applauded the Biden administration’s announcement of a road map to reopen air travel to fully vaccinated individuals from around the world, which it said will help revive the American economy and protect public health.
'This is a major turning point in the management of the virus and will accelerate the recovery of the millions of travel-related jobs that have been lost due to international travel restrictions,' said Roger Dow, US Travel Association president and CEO.
Proof of vaccination and a COVID test
Foreign travelers will need to show proof of vaccination before boarding their flight and a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days before arriving to the US. The accepted vaccines are to be determined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a contact tracing protocol will be established.
US appeal for cruise.co.uk customers
Based on bookings taken during the past six months by online cruise travel specialist cruise.co.uk, the US has emerged as the most popular destination for UK holidaymakers booking a cruise abroad.
The Mediterranean is second on the list, with the Caribbean third and Canada fourth.
Bookings up 12% on pre-pandemic levels
'The US has always been a firm favorite with UK cruise guests, both as a holiday hotspot in itself and as the gateway to the Caribbean. Its position has recently been bolstered, with bookings growing by 12% compared to pre-pandemic levels,' cruise.co.uk said.
Desired overseas cruise length has also edged up, with the proportion of passengers booking 14 to 20 nights rising from 32% to 35% compared to 2019, and those sailing 21 nights or more going up from 6% to 9%.
Meanwhile, the percentage of travelers booking their sailing from the UK to an overseas destination has also increased, from 27% to 37%. Accordingly, those flying from the UK has reduced, from 73% to 63%.
January and February remain the most popular months for UK holidaymakers to travel on an international cruise, which has been the case the past few years.
'As popular as ever'
'The US has always been a go-to port of call for overseas cruise guests; it’s clear that, as international travel further opens up, it remains as popular as ever,' said Tony Andrews, deputy managing director of cruise.co.uk. 'The fantastic variety of holiday options on offer, including a wide range of ships and itineraries, means the US continues to appeal to both seasoned cruisers and first-time passengers alike.'
As to the slight shift in the proportion of people booking extended sailings, Andrews said travelers may be looking to make up for the holidays they’ve missed during the past 18 months.


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When Julia Goldin arrived at Revlon from Coca-Cola three years ago, she found inspiration for the brand’s future in its past.
“I dug through everything that Charles Revson did,” Goldin, Revlon’s global chief marketing officer, told attendees. What she found is that Revson, Revlon’s founder, had a provocative point of view that could be applied today to create noise in the beauty industry.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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Customers will be able to browse their favourite stalls and hunt for a bargain once again when Hartlepool’s outdoor market returns on Thursday, April 29 after being shut for more than three months during England’s national lockdown.
COVID safety measures will be in place at the market, including hand sanitising stations for traders and customers and one way systems to help maintain social distancing.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the next stage of easing lockdown restrictions will go ahead as planned with non-essentials retail, outdoor hospitality and hairdressers allowed to reopen from April 12.
Mark Corfield, from Billingham, who runs a DVD and CD stall at the market, said he is looking forward to seeing customers and fellow stall-holders again.
Mark, who has been trading at the market for 14 years, said: “I’ve been struggling with not having any money and not being able to do the market.
"I’m glad the market’s reopening again so I can start trading.
"I enjoy it, it’s a way of life, not just for myself, but also for our customers, who like to get out and about. They like that bit of contact and a bit of a banter and a laugh.
"It’s such a friendly market, everybody knows each other. It’s like going to see friends rather than actually going to work. Everybody interacts and everybody helps everybody.
"Fingers crossed we get nice weather as well.”
The well-established weekly outdoor market, situated in the West Side Car Park between Middleton Grange Shopping Centre and York Road, also has some vacant pitches and the council is encouraging new traders to join in.
Matthew Pearce, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Project Officer, who manages the market, said: “We’re looking forward to the market resuming and to seeing our regular sellers again.
“However, we also have some vacant pitches, so we would very much welcome interest from new traders who would like to give it a go.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to sell items from a prime location right in the centre of the town.”
For more information, including details of pitches and prices, please email [email protected]


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Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Industries and service sectors play key role in creation of wealth and development of economy. He stressed the need for rapid growth in industry and sectors in the state. Stating that 55 per cent employment rate is in agricultural sector and the same should be achieved in industrial and service sectors to increase per capita income.
Releasing a white paper on Industry, employment and skill development here today, the Chief Minister said agro industries should be increased for good growth rate.
The Chief Minister said that the central govt failed to accord special category status to AP depriving scope for industry development. It failed to release grant for Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor.The central govt failed to fulfil the bifurcation promises of green field petro chemical complex and steel plant in Kadapa.
To encourage industrialisation the state govt enacted public service delivery guarantee Act -2017 and single desk portal to provide 69 services from 19 departments. The state govt released Rs 3675 cr including Rs 1816 cr for MSME sector towards incentives for industrial growth since June 2014. As many as 30349 MSME units were set up from 2014 fetching a revenue of Rs 14,292 cr and 3.3 lakh employment. A decision was taken to set up MSME parks in all the 175 constituencies and 31 MSME parks were set up in 1317.97 acres at a cost of Rs 270.43 cr. A separate corporation was set up for MSME sector and extended a loan of Rs 82,097 cr during 2014-18.
The Chief Minister said partnership summits were conducted in Visakhapatnam thrice to attract investments. As a result several industries came forward to set up their units in AP including in food processing sector Sumeru, Capricorn, Lavajju, Avanti seeds, Podaran and Avergen, Patanjali, Jain Irriation, Parley, Jersey, Indus coffee, Future group, continental coffee, international flavours and progrances, Godrej, SH group, Tata food, ITC, Con agro and Manpasad came forward to set up their units in the state. In textiles sector Boroi, Text port, Mohan spintek, Indian design, Shahi exports, Govindaraja textiles, SAR denim, hage industries, Aavind group, Nisha designs. Guntur textile park, Tarakeswara textiles park came forward to set up their units.
In Automobile sector Isuzu, Kia motors, Appollo tyres, Ashok Ley land and Bharat Forge and Hero group set up units. In IT sector, Foxcon, Plextronix, Dixon, Relieane, TCL and Voltas came forward to set up units. In pharmaceutical sector Spyra health care, Dr Reddy labs, Lupin, larus labs, Arabindo phama Divis labs, Natko pharmaceuticals came forward. In tourism sector Novotel hotel in Vijayawada, Holiday in and Taj in Tirupati, My fortune in Guntur, Jw Mariot, Sun Ray resort in Visakhapatnam were set up.
The Chief Minister said the state govt has been developing three industrial nodes including at Krishnapatnam, Orwakal and Hindupuram in Rayalaseema region. He said industriall corridors will be developed at Visakhapatnam, Srikalahasti, Machilipatnam and Donakonda. He said mega food parks will be developed in Vizianagaram, kadapa, Chittoor. He said 650 acres allotted for mega seed park in Kurnool dist and Rs 6553 acres for Mega industrial park in Kadapa and finteck valley in Viskhapatnam.
The Chief Minister said that the state govt has been providing uninterrupted power supply to industries. The industrial power usage reached 3321 units during 2017-18. Praising the tourism sector for good growth, the Chief Minister said the trial run of Kurnool airport carried out successfully with the landing of first flight today. He said flight services will be introduced from Dagadarthi and Kuppam soon. He said pharma sector would be developed in Orwakal and texiles in Nagari. He said foundation would be laid for Ramayapatnam airport and paper mill on January 9.


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Destiny currently has a rising competitor in the form of Ubisoft?s The Division. With this, is it finally time to release the unimplemented Exotic items that have existed since The Taken King expansion?
According to a DPedrollo?s Destiny The Game Reddit thread, some confirmed Exotic rare items such as the Thagomizers won?t be dropped or obtained until they are finally announced in the game. Some sentiments in the thread say that they have left Destiny to play Ubisoft?s The Division as they slowly lost interest in the game due to the slow arrival of content.
Destiny?s The Taken King expansion has already been out for five months, and some of these missing Exotic items are found to have entries on the official site?s Equipment Directory despite them not being implemented. For example, the Thagomizers have not been implemented in the game, as confirmed in a Destiny Reddit thread way back in October 29, 2015. The Thagomizers have been dredged up by some players in DPedrollo?s thread as they were still not implemented this March.
Reddit User Xephon-70 has also supplied a short list of unreleased Exotic items, according to an article from Planet Destiny. Besides the Thagomizers, other exotic equipment such as Ophidian Aspect, Shinobu?s View, Dunemarchers, and Fr0st-EE5 are also part of the list. Maybe Bungie and Activision may start considering to release more content in the upcoming Destiny expansion as they now have a direct competitor from Ubisoft.
As of the moment, Tom Clancy?s The Division from Ubisoft has yet to prove if it can truly stand toe-to-toe with Destiny as it?s only a week-old video game as of this writing. We?ll have to wait and see if Ubisoft can keep their player base.
On Ubisoft?s side, the company might get better chances due to their Year One and Season Pass announcement video on YouTube. As for new content for Destiny, Siliconera has confirmed a Destiny sequel coming in 2017 and a Destiny expansion this 2016. It?s possible that we?ll see the implementation of these missing Exotics in the coming 2016 expansion, but that might anger fans more and cause them to shift to other games if the developer doesn?t pick up speed soon.


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Shopclues launches Atmanirbhar store, adds 'Made in India' badges on products
E-commerce platform Shopclues has launched an ‘Atmanirbhar' store (which means 'self-reliant' in Hindi) to promote Indian products.
Shopclues has also added 'Made in India' badges on products that have been produced in the country across categories such as fashion, footwear, jewellery and watches, among others.
The initiative is to support the Indian Prime Minister’s ‘Vocal for Local’ message to the nation, urging Indians to be self-reliant and buy products that are domestically manufactured and sourced.
Commenting on the initiative, Sanjay Sethi, chief executive officer of Shopclues, in a statement said: “As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, Shopclues has launched this new online store to promote and support domestically manufactured products. Our platform will not only encourage more indigenous brands to flourish and grow but also help to reopen of MSME sellers while we continue to work behind the scenes to ensure efficient operations of the marketplace post lockdown.
“The ‘Made in India’ badge on each local product will give distinct visibility to the product helping customers to easily identify and pick out these products,” Sethi added.
Shopclues currently has over 2,500 sellers falling under ‘Made in India’ initiative and over 1 lakh products in this section.
Some of the Indian brands on the platform include Digimate, Khadi, Pause, Clymb, Darkpyro, Ikall, Sukkhi, and Patanjali, among others.
Copyright © 2022 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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IBM, the Big Blue battleship of America`s international high-tech flotilla, is not necessarily foundering. But, after taking a battering from smaller, more nimble global competitors for the past six years, the company that ruled the waves of the world computer market today finds itself in dangerously shallow waters.
It is not alone. Other behemoths such as General Motors, Digital Equipment, American Express and Westinghouse have found themselves in similarly dangerous waters, faced with the need to jettison people, products and entire departments to stay afloat.
Last week, IBM Chairman John F. Akers, the man who has been at the helm of the company since 1985-a tenure that has seen Big Blue buffeted by some of the stormiest economic seas in its 78-year history-offered some answers when he sounded what can only be described as a corporate SOS.
``The decline of our business has been precipitous,`` Akers intoned from IBM`s corporate bridge in New York.
He then announced the second major shakeup at IBM in the past 12 months-one that in 1993 would shed 25,000 jobs, eliminate $1 billion in research and development spending, cut another $1 billion in administration costs and shift more of the company`s resources away from traditional hardware and into the areas of computer software and services.
Last December IBM announced a similar restructuring strategy designed to reduce the $65 billion-a-year company`s work force and to give its 13 major business components greater autonomy.
By the end of 1993, IBM`s international work force will be pared to 275,000 from a peak of 406,000 in 1986-mostly through voluntary buyouts, early retirement and attrition.
Akers made it clear, however, that the company`s long-standing, almost sacred policy against layoffs, known as ``full employment,`` could be in jeopardy after more than 50 years.
``We expect managers to make every reasonable effort to achieve the necessary reductions through voluntary means,`` Akers said. ``If current business conditions do not improve significantly, however, it is likely that some business units will be unable to maintain full employment in 1993.``
For those who have held IBM stock, the news hasn`t been any better.
Since last summer, the paper value of what was once the world`s most coveted stock has declined $28 billion. On July 16, IBM shares were trading at $106.25. Last Wednesday the stock closed at $51.87, an 11-year low. By the end of the week the stock-after briefly recovering to $53-closed even lower, at $51.37.
Many stockholders still had not recovered from Akers` warning that IBM may slash the annual dividend of $4.84 it has paid to shareholders. The new moves will force the company to take a $6 billion charge against earnings in the fourth quarter.
What has caused this drastic decline? And where does it go from here?
Last fall the 58-year-old Akers, a former U.S. Navy pilot who joined IBM as a sales trainee in 1960, offered a clue to IBM`s problems when he dressed down many of the company`s top managers during a private company meeting, the contents of which were leaked onto the company`s electronic-mail system.
``Everyone is too damn comfortable at a time when the business is in crisis,`` Akers told the executives. ``Too many people are standing around the water cooler waiting to be told what to do.``
While lethargy at the top may be part of the problem, IBM executives and analysts say the world`s largest computer-maker is also faced with an industry and market that has changed as fast and as often as the technology that drives it.
IBM is not alone. Other American computing giants, such as DEC and Unisys, have taken billions of dollars in charges and fired thousands of employees-victims of the same forces and the same slowness to react.
The most significant shift, from IBM`s perspective, has been the movement of customers from highly profitable mainframe computer systems-the backbone of Big Blue`s business and traditionally the source of 60 percent of its revenues-to less expensive, smaller and less profitable personal computer systems and work stations, running either alone or as part of networks.
For the most part, these PC systems are produced by a fleet of smaller, leaner manufacturers that not only operate on smaller profit margins, but are able to respond quicker to changes in the market and bring new products to that market faster than IBM.
Companies such as Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. have been especially adept at undercutting IBM`s mainframe business with PC-based computer systems at a time when the U.S. economy has been in a deep recession.
Overseas, IBM`s nemeses have been Japanese companies such as Toshiba, Hitachi, Matsushita, Fujitsu, NEC and Sony, as well as such European competitors as Germany`s Siemens and Philips Corp. of the Netherlands.
These competitors are like faster gunboats that have surrounded and are peppering away at a lumbering battleship, say analysts.


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PAT PILCHER gets a sneak preview of Huawei’s upcoming Android upgrade and finds its subtle refinement and evolution to his tastes.
PAT PILCHER goes hands-on with Huawei’s Y9 Prime smartphone and finds plenty of bang for not much buck.
With its blackballing by our government and the GCSB and the lack of transparency over why they’re doing so, PAT PILCHER raises serious concerns.
PAT PILCHER looks at signs that America’s stance on Huawei may be softening and examines the evidence that it’s unworkable.
PAT PILCHER smells a rat in the coverage of the Trump/Huawei debacle, and looks to the facts to explain the likely outcome.
America is coming down hard on Chinese telco Huawei. PAT PILCHER reports.
PAT PILCHER discovers that Huawei’s new fitness tracking watch is useful for much more than a saunter down to the local chip shop.
PAT PILCHER discovers that he is indeed a world-class photographer, thanks to the amazing, scenery-changing photographic chops of Huawei’s award-winning new smartphone.


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ABC News in Australia has reported how a Melbourne dentist has convinced a Federal Court Judge to order tech giant Google to produce identifying information about a person who posted a damaging negative review about the dentist on Google’s platform.
The dentist, Dr Matthew Kabbabe, alleges that a reviewer’s comment posted on Google approximately three months ago advised others to “stay away” from his practice and that it damaged his teeth-whitening business and had a knock-on negative impact on his life.
Even though Google provides a platform to allow reviews to be posted in order to benefit businesses (if reviews are good), perhaps encourage and guide businesses to give good service, and to help Google users to decide whether to use a service, the comment was the only bad one on a page of five-star reviews. In addition to the possibly defamatory nature of the comment, Dr Kabbabe’s objection to the anonymity that Google offers comment posters, and that it could, as such be, something posted by a competitor or disgruntled ex-employee to damage his (or any other business) drove him to take the matter to the Federal Court after, it has been reported, his requests to Google to take the comment down were unsuccessful.
Not only did Federal Court Judge Justice Bernard Murphy request that Google divulge identifying information about the comment poster, listed only a “CBsm 23″ (name, phone number, IP addresses, location metadata), but also the tech giant has been ordered to provide any other Google accounts (name and email addresses) which are from the same IP address during the period of time in question.
Reviews posted on Google can be replied to by businesses as long as the replies comply with Google’s guidelines.
Dealing with some apparently unfair customer comments online is becoming more common for many businesses. For example, hotels and restaurants have long struggled with how to respond to potentially damaging criticism left by customers on TripAdvisor. Recently, the owner of the Oriel Daniel Tearoom in Llangefni, Anglesey made the news when they responded to negative comments with brutal responses and threats of lifetime bans.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
For the most part, potential customers are likely to be able to take a balanced view of comments that they read when finding out more about a business, but the fact that a Federal judge ruled in favour of not allowing those who have posted potentially damaging comments to hide behind online anonymity means that there may well be an argument for platforms to amend rules to try to redress the balance more in the favour of businesses. It does seem unfair that, as in the case of the dentist, where the overwhelming majority of comments have been good, an individual, who may be a competitor or person with an axe to grind is allowed to anonymously and publicly publish damaging comments, whether justified or not, for a global audience to see and with no need to prove their allegations – something that would be subject to legal scrutiny in the offline world. It will be interesting to see Google’s response to this ground-breaking ruling.


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Christmas tree growers feel ‘Grinch-ed’ by tax stories
Published: December 4,2011
Growers now hope consumers visit their operations and see prices are generally the same as last year.
“Here we are trying to self-promote our industry, and we get this,” said Michael May, owner of the Lazy Acres Plantation near Chunky and executive secretary of the Southern Christmas Tree Association. “Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying.”
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The Internet of Things (IoT) are just as susceptible to malware as any computer. Digital cameras..
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Is this a new take on the Indy 500?
Not sure about that, but if the Midwest has had less exposure to electric vehicles than, say California, New York, or other regions, that should start to change this year with the influx of state-of-the-art European EVs into Indianapolis.
The BlueIndy car sharing program beginning December aims to flood downtown Indy by the end of 2015 with 1,000 level 2 chargers and 500 Bolloré Bluecars available from 200 locations for smartphone-app-guided, RFID-wielding customers to hop in and use.
Presently, there are just 10 of the Bolloré group’s four-seaters brought in as demonstrators to give anyone curious a taste of what’s coming, but the commercial operation will begin with 125 cars to start just as the winter holiday season is in full swing.
These Pininfarina-designed, purpose-built urban EVs are constructed around Bolloré’s proprietary solid-state 30-kilowatt-hour lithium-metal polymer (LMP) batteries, and appear to be ideally suited to their task.
Autolib – Paris. Upbeat music, eh? Come on, you know EVs look like fun!
Priced as a limited-availability car to consumers in Europe – sans leased battery – for around $16,000, as peppy rental cars, they are “sturdy” and elemental transportation with a Nissan-Leaf-crushing 120-150-mile urban range, and estimated 93 miles highway range.
The car sharing program will use slightly taller, DOT-certified Bluecar versions for American needs and is modeled on the already profitable Autolib service begun December 2011 in Paris and similar to the city’s Vélib bike sharing program. Autolib now boasts 50,000 subscribers, and has provided over 5 million rentals to date, qualifying it as a financial success faster than expected.
So where in the U.S. did this French operation set its sites on to share the love? Instead of some likely place such as San Francisco to plant its business model, synergy was found between Republican Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and a multi-billionaire with a vision for electrification whose name is not Elon Musk, but rather, Vincent Bolloré.
Bolloré’s net worth is $8.7 billion, making him the 10th-richest person in France, number 151 on Forbes’ list of 1,645 billionaires, and he has taken a shining to Indy having branched his “ecomobility” solution from Paris to London, and now the U.S.
The idea is being embraced by Ballard who, elected in 2007 and now in his second term, has presided over six consecutive balanced budgets and has supported sustainable initiatives for years. In December 2012, he signed an executive order to make Indianapolis the United States’ first major city pledging to convert its entire municipal non-police fleet to electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2025.
The city with population around 820,000 – and a car capital in its own right – has limited public transportation, has already adopted bike sharing, and is keen to make itself a model of zero-emissions transportation.
Ballard’s personal motivation comes after a 23-year career as a U.S. Marine with action seen in the Persian Gulf War, and having retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He has backed words with deeds showing he wants to help America wean off of petroleum, especially the imported kind for which he once risked his life.
“The United States’ current transportation energy model, driven by oil, exacts an enormous cost on each and every one of its inhabitants financially and an enormous cost on the country in terms of strategic leverage,” he said. “The United States’ dependence on oil for use in transportation comes at a high cost-both in terms of dollars and lives. To reduce our dependence on oil, developing and diversifying viable American energy sources is required.”
In an interview yesterday with BlueIndy President Hervé Muller, we were told plans are to dot downtown Indy with Bluecars so students, corporate and government employees, and well, anyone, can readily find one, get in and go a few blocks, a few miles, or more.
Cars will be locatable by a smart phone app, and accessible via rental kiosks which verify driver’s license, other vital info, and accept payment.
The Bluecars will be parked on street, parking will be free and reserved thus no hassle, though users are responsible to plug in the vehicle when done driving.
The kiosks are to be strategically located and by the to-be-determined start date this December, BlueIndy aims to have 25 locations with five free parking spots per location.
Through 2015, about 15 new locations will be opened each month, said Muller, until a goal of 200 locations is reached for a fairly high Bluecar density making them essentially as accessible as a city bus.
“The principle is we want to have a very large deployment,” he said, thus an effective privately run arm of the public transit system.
And, said Vincent Bolloré in an interview with Forbes, “We want to demonstrate the electric car is not only a very high priced toy for VIPs.”
Speaking of prices, Muller said these have not been established yet, but the goal is to make the car “very close” in correlating with the fee structure in Paris where acceptance has been high.
Muller estimates this at around $13 per month for an annual membership. Use of the vehicle would tentatively require a flat fee of $5 for 20 minutes, and after that it would be a proportional price per minute. That is, the next 10 minutes would be $2.50, and one hour would be $15.
Muller said the company expects average uses would be 20 minutes, so these really are just for short jaunts, though rates will be available for anyone – those wishing to rent a day, a week, a month, a year.
As the first mass-produced EV to be fitted with more-energy-dense LMP solid-state batteries, Muller said there are no present plans for the Bolloré Bluecar to be marketed to consumers in the U.S. but perhaps it or an evolved version ought to be.
It was designed by Pininfarina from the ground up as an EV, a “battery with wheels,” said Muller, and is constructed in Bairo, Italy by Cecopmp under a join venture between Bolloré and Pininfarina known as Vehicule Électriques Pininfarina Bolloré (VEPB).
The car has a nominal power rating of 35 kilowatts (47 horsepower), max of 50-kw (67 horsepower), top speed is electrically limted to 81 mph (130 kph), and 0-37 mph (60 kph) is 6.3 seconds – OK for city use.
Not a toy for the well-to-do, if several thousand now trolling the streets in Paris are any indication, it ought to be an effective set of wheels for anyone in downtown Indy.
And if not a powerhouse, no EV shy of a 208-mile, 60-kwh Tesla Model S boasts as much range as the little runabout which could go 150 miles on a good day, yet could be priced somewhere around the low-water mark if it were made available to consumers.
The Bolloré Bluecar measures – in Euro spec – 12-feet long, 5.6-feet wide, 5.3-feet tall, with a 12.4-cubic-foot truck, and gross weight is 2,469 pounds.
Its chassis saves weight where possible, and is constructed of steel and aluminum, with its body constructed of aluminum and ABS plastic.
The Bolloré group plans to ultimately invest $35 million, and $16 million has been committed by Indianapolis Power and Light for the 208-volt level 2 charging stations. Bolloré will also hire employees to support the local system.
Among reasons why Mayor Ballard says the program will be readily adopted is it fills a gap in a limited public transportation system, and there are plenty who could see the light.
This includes 80,000 university students and employees for several major corporations who help comprise the regular populace in the downtown area.
In an interview with the Indianapolis Business Journal, Vincent Bolloré estimated BlueIndy would need 15,000-20,000 regular users to break even. He said he expects to reach profitability within 3-4 years, and regular users could spend about $1,000 a year in total.
Autolib cars in Paris.
For his part, Mayor Ballard has said he thinks BlueIndy could become profitable in 5-7 years.
Muller however said the number of customers needed to break even was not firmly established, as BlueIndy’s planners study and adapt to a market quite different than that of Paris, a city of 2.2 million, and with Autolib extending into the far-more populous suburbs.
Among customers will be one-time or infrequent users, as well as those who see this as a way to get by without personal car ownership.
Studies have shown car sharing may eliminate the need to own and maintain a car, and one study by Alixpartyner showed 48 percent of American car sharing or self-service vehicle users end up not buying or selling cars.
It also showed that without car-sharing or self-service vehicles, Americans would have bought or would buy an additional 1.2 million vehicles between 2006 and 2020.
At this point it may be too early to tell, but Muller said, “we are very confident in the model” the Bolloré group has proven ahead of schedule in Paris, and which is now spreading to London, and sooner or later, “we are confident that it will reach profitability.”
In any event, it took an ambitious European company to come in and do this at a time when Chrysler has no EVs, Ford has limited sales of its Focus EV, and General Motors has been undecided whether its Spark EV city car will be sold outside of California and Oregon.
As is the case with Tesla, a billionaire and a vision are pushing the agenda and EV proponents see this as a positive portent, as Mayor Ballard also pointed out.
“Bolloré’s EV sharing program will give the residents, visitors, and businesses the opportunity to use an EV in their everyday travel. This will immediately have a large impact on the community’s use of oil and demonstrate that EVs are a viable alternative today,” he said. “Once people experience the technology, I strongly believe people in our community and beyond will want to use and even may buy an EV. Further, the pro-gram will allow owners of EVs to charge at the new charging stations, which is extremely important.”


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INSIDE’s recently announced partnership with Infineon and a strong involvement in the Smart Card Alliance place the company at the forefront of Contactless payment and NFC
Aix en Provence, France, April 12, 2007–INSIDE Contactless, a leading provider of advanced, open standard contactless chip technologies, today announced that the company will present its next generation Payment and NFC (Near Field Communication) technologies and services at Cards Asia on booth 4H05, from 25 to 27 of April, 2007.
With over 10 years experience pioneering the emerging contactless market as a fabless semiconductor company, INSIDE currently holds more than 55 international patents, and manages a portfolio of 250 clients around the world. The company is currently working on multiple NFC pilot projects in Europe and Asia, partnering with the largest electronics, banking, telecom and media businesses.
INSIDE’s contactless payment core technology MicroPass® is based on an innovative chip architecture, and enables fast and reliable transactions, every time. MicroPass® is an ‘intelligent hardware platform’, with an optimized native operating system, application development tools, and enables deployment of multiple value-added applications alongside a core payment application.
Cards Asia will be a major opportunity for the company to showcase its latest technology and business developments with application for the payment industry. During the show, Charles Walton, Executive Vice President for the Payments will present a keynote conference on the topic: “Contactless Payments in Asia: Challenges for growth in the next wave”. The conference will be held at the Seminar Theatre, Hall 401, on Thursday, April 26 at 11.00 a.m.
“Asia is definitely a focus region for the coming year” says Goh Say Yeow, Executive Vice President of Sales and Managing Director of the Asia Pacific Region at INSIDE Contactless. “We’re really enthusiastic about the contactless payment market taking off in Asia, with the potential for dual interface EMV cards driving such growth. We are confident that the Asia-Pacific Region adoption of high-performance, lower cost dual interface cards later in 2007 and into 2008 will create an example for other EMV regions–demonstrating the speed, convenience, and security propositions of this new technology.
About INSIDE Contactless
Founded in 1995, INSIDE is headquartered in France and with global presence in China, Singapore, Poland and the USA. INSIDE is uniquely positioned as the only fabless semiconductor company solely dedicated to the advancement of contactless technology, leveraging one of the industry’s largest intellectual property portfolios. Through strategic emphasis in Contactless Payments and Near Field Communications (NFC), INSIDE has been on a rapid growth track over the past two years with more than 12M chips delivered for contactless payment cards in the US market and a dominant position in driving NFC standardization and pilot deployments. For more information, http://www.insidecontactless.com.


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Nike set to drop Kobe 5 Protro “Lakers” on Mamba Day
The Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Lakers”, which were first spotted on the feet of Lakers’ Anthony Davis, as well as already having been released at select overseas accounts. Some US retailers have them even listed for a March release. All of that combined has put Nike in a tough spot as far as a posthumous release. Following the tragic death of Basketball Superstar Kobe Bryant, It has faced several delays but now it is finally set to be dropped towards the end of this month.
For further updates
Hype Ryno is set to Re-define Indian Sneaker Market as we know it
At a time when the sneaker game is rapidly gaining popularity, and more and more resellers and collectors are becoming a part of this ecosystem, The lack of a proper Authentication system and resale forums have caused inconvenience to a lot of enthusiasts; but not…
Upcoming Yeezy Releases For 2022
As we step into 2022, the past year hasn’t exactly been a cakewalk. The virus continues its presence with habitual lockdowns and strict norms all over the country. Despite this, the sneaker culture slowly but surely experienced a good number of new collaborations, album releases,…


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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law a package of bills that will establish a statewide regulatory framework for the state’s longstanding medical cannabis industry.
Snyder signed three out of five bills that were approved by the state legislature over the last week and a half, MLive.com reported. The trio include the centerpiece, House Bill 4209, which establishes a licensing system for MMJ businesses. The next bill legalizes infused products, while the third mandates that MMJ businesses use a seed-to-sale tracking system.
The Michigan Legislature has been trying for years to agree on a regulatory system that will stabilize its MMJ industry, given that law enforcement raids on dispensaries have been ongoing basically since dispensaries began opening. The main problem is that although Michigan voters legalized MMJ in 2008, the initiative at the time didn’t explicitly allow for dispensaries and other related businesses.
The new system aims to end to raids in the long term, and give cannabis entrepreneurs more peace of mind that they can operate within a legal framework.


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Wildeboer Bauteile GmbH will not participate as an exhibitor at ISH 2021. As the company's management says, the decision was taken after careful consideration and with a heavy heart, but ultimately with full conviction. The current situation surrounding the Corona pandemic and the unpredictable relationship with the time of the fair in March next year cannot be reconciled with the company philosophy, according to which the protection of the health of employees, customers and business partners is the top priority, says the company management.
In order to be able to offer customers, interested parties and media representatives an attractive opportunity to exchange ideas and present the latest additions to the product portfolio, an interactive concept is currently being developed at the company's headquarters in Weener, East Frisia. "Extraordinary circumstances call for new ideas. We will offer a modern, target group-oriented and above all secure communication experience on various channels in order to be able to hold discussions with our partners in an environment appropriate to the situation," announces Wildeboer sales manager Ewald Koopmann.
He emphasises that personal contact with customers continues to be held in high esteem within the company and that the company believes in the format of trade fairs in the future, but that the protection of the health of all those involved has top priority and that the hardly calculable risk is decisive for the cancellation. In this context, the sales manager points out that Wildeboer has been able to guarantee unrestricted production operations thanks to extensive safety and hygiene measures in recent months, and does not wish to jeopardise the associated short-term delivery capability and reliability.


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People today are busy as ever. They want products and services delivered as quickly and conveniently as possible. Lifestyle based on efficiency has a predominant value for them as well as the ability to get immediate respond to the demands…
“See now, buy now” is one of the ten key trends in consumer behavior this year (traditionally explored by the British agency Euromonitor), which will certainly affect the medical business.
Healthcare consumers will choose those healthcare facilities, institutions, services and software products that offer the shortest waiting time, help avoid queues, synchronize personal information and preferences.
What key consumer trends in 2019 should be considered by the doctor and the head of the medical institution, taking into account the peculiarities of Ukrainian legislation, the architect of the medical marketing system with over 25 years of experience, international level business coach Andrii PETROVICH will tell during the International Conference “Medicine: Law and Business ”, which will be held in Kyiv, April 16.
Andrii is a cardiovascular surgeon, a dermatologist, a founder of the Ukrainian biorevitalization industry, a developer of nine unique techniques, the author of a course in therapeutic cosmetology at Zaporizhzhya Medical University.
The conference was organized by the informational, educational and legal platform of the European model and one of the oldest editions of the legal direction “Law and Business“. The format of the event involves the most practical topics of reports that will be interesting for owners and managers of medical institutions of all forms of ownership, their legal advisers, doctors, as well as representatives of pharmaceutical companies and suppliers of medical equipment.
You may find out more about the speakers and the program of the International Conference “Medicine: Law and Business”, as well as register for participation on the official website of the event.


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The performance of entrepreneurial and top companies plays a pivotal role in global growth and mobility for the South African economy. Companies continue to face increasing challenges due to the growth of global competition. In pursuit of consistent improvement, awards celebrate those who have achieved remarkable results in their tough industries.
Karla Fletcher 3 days ago
This year's South African Innovation Summit kicks off today at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni and ends on Friday, 23 September with the Ignite! event. It's set to feature TED-style turbo-charged talks with an innovative twist, where corporate innovation thought leaders share the stage with entrepreneurs, artists and entertainers for short bursts of energy-packed innovation lessons, stories and ideas. And we have a special 2-for-1 offer for Ignite!
21 Sep 2016
VW SA and brand experience agency Mbongiworks drew big audiences at the SA Festival of Motoring at Kyalami with a disruptive approach.
Mbongiworks 19 Sep 2016
Over 200 people attended Meltwater's Outside Insight event held in Johannesburg, which shared insights on modern industry best practices for brands and agencies involved in online marketing. One of the key insights was that growth occurs when digital marketers humanise the brand.
16 Sep 2016
Sun International's latest event and conferencing facility, SunPark, which recently opened at Sun City, offers event organisers a space to host industry and lifestyle events of varying sizes. The new event concept will open at GrandWest in Cape Town in October, followed by two other Sun Internationals - Sibaya in KwaZulu-Natal and Carnival City in Gauteng.
15 Sep 2016
An inaugural University Dialogue on Nation Branding will be held by Brand South Africa at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday 5 October 2016 from 8am-8pm.
8 Sep 2016
The INMA Global Media Summit Africa, scheduled for 14-15 November 2016 in Cape Town, has added two more speakers to the lineup - one from Germany and one from Canada.
6 Sep 2016
The Event Organiser's Network (EON) celebrated its 10th annual Conference & Event Showcase on Spring Day at Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Johannesburg. The occasion attracted 120 exhibitors and over 500 delegates, nearly all sporting a spring theme.
5 Sep 2016
The South African Booksellers Association along with the Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA) celebrated the annual Sefika on 30 August 2016 to honour the booksellers and publishers around South Africa that promote reading.
1 Sep 2016
Celebrating creativity and the power of cinema as an advertising platform through a showcase of best practice in brand communications is the promise of the 2016 edition of Cannes Lions Edit.
31 Aug 2016
"There is absolutely no such thing as a perfect fit, but there is something called a right fit," said Andrea Kleinloog, co-founder of Anatomy Design, introducing her talk on 'Partnerships: Finding the perfect fit' at the Johannesburg version of Business of Design earlier this month.
Jessica Tennant 30 Aug 2016
"Curiosity is gluttony. To see is to devour" - Victor Hugo, Poet
Mindshare South Africa 26 Aug 2016


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Articles about Emerging Tech
Online travel agency Webjet is now accepting bitcoin payments in Australia through its Webjet Exclusives site, after teaming up with Sydney-based bitcoin startup BitPOS.
EY Advisory earned the CRM Watchlist 2015's highest score. Why? They deliver the perfect integration of mission and vision with actual work and corporate life. Take a gander.
Uber and Carnegie Mellon University have signed a partnership to develop vehicle safety and autonomy technology at the soon-to-be-launched Uber Advanced Technologies Center.
Microsoft is developing a number of Windows 10 for IoT versions, alongside some custom Windows 10 SKUs, targeted at a wide family of embedded devices.
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute has employed the CSIRO's supercomputer and computer gaming technology to help diagnose patients suffering from heart rhythm disease.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates is working on a new 'Personal Agent' project with Microsoft, he disclosed during his latest Reddit AMA.
California regulator the Department of Business Oversight has refuted claims made by Coinbase that its new bitcoin exchange is regulated.
Greenwave Systems launches research and development center focusing on Internet of Things technology, and plans to expand its headcount in the country by 50 percent.
Gartner is predicting that by 2020, around one in five vehicles on the road globally will have some form of wireless network connection, adding up to more than 250 million connected vehicles.
The first regulated US bitcoin exchange has been launched by San Francisco-based bitcoin wallet operator Coinbase.
We catch up with BeyondCore CEO Arijit Sengupta and chat about how too many fancy graphics and artificial intelligence powered magic boxes may lead to big data disillusionment.
Uber is resuming operations under a radio taxi licence in Delhi six weeks after it was banned in the city when one of its drivers was pulled up on rape charges.
From the people who brought you the internet, the latest version of the Atlas robot will be used in its disaster-fighting robotic challenge.
As part of its renewable energy ambitions, Amazon Web Services has signed a deal to buy most of the power generated by an Indiana wind farm for its US datacenters.
Microsoft smart lamp proof-of-concept detects a phone sat on your desk and recharges it by directing a beam onto solar panels.
From iPhone T-Shirts to filtration necklaces, take a look at what wearable technology fashion designers think we will be wearing one day soon.
The Next Unit of Computing (NUC) boards see Intel target consumers and retailers with a low-cost PC that still packs an Ivy Bridge punch.
Give your fingers some extra functionality with these geeky gloves.
Coke machines, a psychologist, and futuristic grocery shopping combine with Intel's usual display of new chip and hardware technology at the Intel Developer Forum from San Francisco.
Sponsored by Sap
The iPad and iPod Touch have been huge hits with children and schools. But there's a new wave of Android devices and tablets created by vendors taking advantage of Android's open-ness to create devices tailored specially for kids and teachers. Updated Sept. 27, 2012.
It'd be a mistake to think of Qualcomm only as a mobile processor company — as seen by the augmented reality kit, wireless charger and other nifty tech it showed off at its IQ 2012 conference.
Wearable tech goes green. Clothing and accessories made from recycled circuit boards.
What intelligent clothing will we be wearing in the future? Perhaps these items of wearable tech will be in our wardrobes.
Fans of the cheap, Linux-based computer met up in Bristol to show off devices based on the Raspberry Pi, one of a number of events intended to bring enthusiasts together.
Show off with some laser wearables, gadgets and gizmos.
Wish your jackets were more intelligent? Here are a few amazing items of clothing that practically think for themselves.
Nanyang Technological University shows prototype of TV content distribution via cloud-based technology with added social functionalities.
The Raspberry Pi mini-computer has taken the tech world by storm. If you're one of the lucky few to get one, one of the first things you'll need is a case. Here's a few to choose from.
If you cannot get to the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas this week, console yourself with some classic Star Trek goodies and gifts.
Geek tech to add extra functionality to your day wear
What could your business do better? At the Greentech Media and Groom Energy, Enterprise Carbon Accounting Summit in Burlingame, Calif., panelists explain what "The Climate Registry" is, and how business leaders can benefit from carbon accountability. Panelists include: James Sullivan, former director of the EPA Climate Leaders Program and current vice president of Clear Standards; Elise Zoli, partner and chair of energy practice at Goodwin Procter; and Tyman Lodder, western regional director of The Climate Registry.
At a Churchill Club event in Santa Clara, Calif., Peter Solvik, managing director at Sigma Partners, questions CIOs about Oracle's recent acquisition of Sun Microsystems. The panel includes: Matt Carey, chief information officer of Home Depot; Karenann Terrell, CIO of Baxter; and Lars Rabbe, former CIO of Yahoo. The IT chiefs also discuss how consolidation is hampering innovation, while bringing higher maintenance support costs and more system integration challenges.
At the CTIA Wireless 2009 Conference in Las Vegas, Clearwire's co-chairman, Benjamin Wolff, announces the launch of the Silicon Valley WiMax Innovation Network. The 20-square-mile "sandbox" will give developers free access to create and test applications for a 4G network.
At the CTIA Wireless 2009 Conference in Las Vegas, Ivan Seidenberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, announces the next initiative in the LTE Pipeline, the Verizon Wireless LTE Innovation Center. The center will serve as an incubator to test and make prototypes of new consumer electronics, telematics, and machine-to-machine products.
The tabletop technology, now available for purchase in the UK, has applications for business, Microsoft told ZDNet UK at CeBIT 2009
At the TechCrunch Cloud Computing Roundtable in Mountain View, Calif., Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, explains why he thinks Microsoft's entry into the business will bring validation to the cloud. Many CTOs, he says, still need to be convinced that using software as a service will save them money and move their companies toward the future. Moderator: Steve Gillmor, editor of TechCrunchIT.


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Coca-Cola’s, Nestle, Philip Morris, Carlsberg, McDonalds and Starbucks – only few names of transnational companies that sell soft drinks, processed food, alcohol, tobacco and fast food worldwide. No matter which part of the world we live in, we have heard some of those names and have consumed their products at one point or another. But did you know that the six aforementioned companies plus 27 other transnational corporations had a combined sell totalling US$ 829 billion in 2017, with the total profits of $99 billion . In other words, in 2017, $110 was spent per person on goods sold by those companies (if every person in the world would spend the same amount). This is great news for the owners, however consuming their products contributes to people developing heart and lung diseases, cancer and diabetes, known as non-communicable diseases.
Non-communicable diseases, or often referred to as NCDs, contribute to 71% of all deaths globally . NCDs are illnesses that cannot be transmitted from one person to another, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease. Fortunately, most of these illnesses are preventable – 80% of NCDs are due to lack of preventative measures, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, tobacco use and alcohol abuse . These risk factors lead to four key changes in the body – raised blood pressure, overweight/obesity, raised blood glucose and raised cholesterol . In addition to a higher chance of premature death, these risk factors may also reduce one’s life quality. In the current pandemic, there is also higher risk of more severe Covid-19 symptoms when one has an underlying NCD .
The estimated economic burden of NCDs from 2011-2030 is $46.7 trillion worldwide . Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) suffer the most from NCDs – 50% of premature deaths occur there. WHO has reported that it would cost $11.4 billion to implement NCD prevention programs in low- and middle-income countries . This is the same amount that Coca Cola spends on marketing in 2.5 years . For US tobacco companies, who spend $1 million per hour on advertising , the budget of 15 months of advertisements could pay for prevention programs in LMICs. These are the amounts that LMICs will not have for their public health costs to fight these companies.
How would you solve this problem if you were the government? Create policies to support people to eat more healthily, drink and smoke less, and be more active? If it only was that easy, we could prevent 80% of the premature deaths caused by NCDs, and the huge economic burden that comes with them. However, the political determinants are in the hands of private corporate companies who benefit from NCDs, and this is where it gets complicated.
Writer on Medicine & Health


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Updated Monday 3:50 p.m.
Includes press conference comments by the FTC.
Facebook has been tracking your web browsing even when you’re not on the social website. Private things you thought you were only sharing with “Friends” were not kept private. And those who thought they had deleted their account really didn’t, leaving personal photos and videos still accessible.
Maneesha Mithal, Associate Director of the Privacy and Identity Protection Divsion for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was asked if Facebook advertisers could track people’s history on the web and what people were doing beyond Facebook.
“They could do that, yes,” said Mithal.
This morning eight privacy violations by Facebook were settled with the FTC.
“We allege that Facebook violated the FTC act which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC.
The FTC may have slapped Facebook on its cheek but didn’t have the authority to levy any fines.
“We don’t have fining authority for violations of the FTC act,” said Liebowitz.
However, Leibowitz pointed out that once a company is under order, if they violate that order they are subject to $16,000 per violation per day.
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The FTC complaint lists a number of instances in which Facebook allegedly made privacy promises that it did not keep:
“In December 2009, Facebook changed its website so certain information that users may have designated as private – such as their Friends List – was made public.
They didn’t warn users that this change was coming, or get their approval in advance.
Facebook represented that third-party apps that users’ installed would have access only to user information that they needed to operate. In fact, the apps could access nearly all of users’ personal data – data the apps didn’t need.
Facebook told users they could restrict sharing of data to limited audiences – for example with “Friends Only.” In fact, selecting “Friends Only” did not prevent their information from being shared with third-party applications their friends used.
Facebook had a “Verified Apps” program & claimed it certified the security of participating apps. It didn’t.
Facebook promised users that it would not share their personal information with advertisers. It did.
Facebook claimed that when users deactivated or deleted their accounts, their photos and videos would be inaccessible. But Facebook allowed access to the content, even after users had deactivated or deleted their accounts.
Facebook claimed that it complied with the U.S.- EU Safe Harbor Framework that governs data transfer between the U.S. and the European Union. It didn’t.”
“Facebook is obligated to keep the promises about privacy that it makes to its hundreds of millions of users,” said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC. “Facebook’s innovation does not have to come at the expense of consumer privacy. The FTC action will ensure it will not.”
The terms of the order are as follows:
The proposed settlement bars Facebook from making any further deceptive privacy claims, requires that the company get consumers’ approval before it changes the way it shares their data, and requires that it obtain periodic assessments of its privacy practices by independent, third-party auditors for the next 20 years.
Specifically, under the proposed settlement, Facebook is:
- barred from making misrepresentations about the privacy or security of consumers’ personal information;
- required to obtain consumers’ affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences;
- required to prevent anyone from accessing a user’s material no more than 30 days after the user has deleted his or her account;
- required to establish and maintain a comprehensive privacy program designed to address privacy risks associated with the development and management of new and existing products and services, and to protect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers’ information; and
- required, within 180 days, and every two years after that for the next 20 years, to obtain independent, third-party audits certifying that it has a privacy program in place that meets or exceeds the requirements of the FTC order, and to ensure that the privacy of consumers’ information is protected.


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KUALA LUMPUR (May 6): Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew 15.3% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM126.9 billion in March, the highest in 44 months.
In a statement, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that on a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, manufacturing sales increased by 7.2%.
Mohd Uzir noted that the y-o-y increase was driven by transport equipment and other manufactures products (34.2%), electrical and electronics products (17%), and food, beverage and tobacco products (14.9%).
Meanwhile, the total number of employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in March stood at 2.23 million people, down 1.1% from 2.26 million people a year ago.
Salaries and wages paid in the sector in March stood at RM7.51 billion, up 0.8% or RM58.3 million from March 2020. Sales value per employee rose by 16.5% to a record RM56,831 compared to March last year.
Average salaries and wages per employee in the sector stood at RM3,364 in March.
In the first quarter of 2021 (1Q21), manufacturing sales increased 8.5% y-o-y to RM368.2 billion from 1Q20.
The number of employees employed in the sector declined by 1.1% to 2.23 million, while salaries and wages decreased by 0.6% to RM22.6 billion. The sales value per employee during the quarter increased 9.7% to RM164,865.


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Bridgestone announced it will return to CES 2021, held virtually this year on Jan. 11-14, 2021.
As part of the digital exhibition, the company will unveil Bridgestone World, an interactive city showcasing how Bridgestone innovations will power a more sustainable mobility future. Live online showcases and on-demand feature videos will also foster opportunities for collaboration with partners across the technology spectrum.
“Active, intelligent and digitally integrated technologies are critical to our goal of creating new value for society and customers through sustainable mobility and advanced solutions,” said Paolo Ferrari, president & CEO, Bridgestone Americas, and executive vice president and executive officer, Bridgestone Corporation. “As we progress on this journey, we are eager to engage with other innovators and leaders to imagine a better future for mobility.”
Bridgestone World, specifically developed in response to this year’s virtual CES format, allows users to peer into urban, suburban, industrial and transport settings in a city of the future, and explore how the company’s connected products and data-driven services will address pain points, improve consumers’ mobility experience and create greater social and customer value.
The tool’s central urban environment allows users to explore Bridgestone’s evolution into a high-tech company that enhances its core tire and rubber offering through smart tire and advanced mobility technologies. Bridgestone World aims to showcase how the company is reimagining itself to help people and businesses manage their vehicles in a safer, smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable way.
Bridgestone will also engage directly with CES attendees through live and on-demand presentations that explore how the company is using smart tire technology, advanced data analytics and new business models to put tires at the center of a sustainable mobility system, now and in the future.


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The HTC One Mini 2 has made the most official of appearances, getting approved by the Taiwanese FCC over the past days. This model is as official as it gets, thanks to this approval. This model has been less leaked than the HTC One M8 Prime, I have to say.
The device has reached the NCC, the National Communications Commission and according to new reports, this model has been approved by the commission on May 5th. This means we’re pretty close to the smartphone release and we may get to see it by the end of May. The smartphone has been confirmed to support 4G LTE connectivity and previous rumors have suggested that the handset will feature a 4.5 inch display with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, plus a quad core Snapdragon 400 CPU.
We’ve got 1 GB of RAM included, 16 GB of storage and I’m looking forward to see what kind of camera it will get. Maybe a 13 megapixel shooter, a la Desire 816. The design will most likely be the same as the one of the HTC One M8, but smaller.


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As some of you may have suspected, there's a connection between drinking and politics.
A CNN/Opinion Research Poll looks at the link between what people drink and who they vote for.
Beer drinkers prefer Sen John McCain (R-AZ) -- 53-46% -- over Sen Hillary Clinton (D-NY). But beer drinkers are split right down the middle between Sen McCain and Sen Barack Obama (D-IL).
Turns out 28% of Americans prefer beer to wine. But 31% prefer wine to beer.
Pollsters believe the numbers are split along gender lines -- women prefer wine and Sen Clinton. (CNN)


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Target and Mother are known for doing it up big when it comes to launches. Little Marina -- the life-sized, fashion-obsessed doll of 2011 -- is one example. So, to launch the 3.1 Phillip Lim fashion collab, the agency went massive, with a huge cinemagraph built out of multiple screens that spanned the length of a room. Created for a private shopping event and party in New York, the installation featured looks from the collection, with photos snapped in six cities around the country. The photos were of influencers and bloggers, such as Stacey McKenzie, judge on Canada's Next Top Model, model Lauren Foster, DJ Hannah Bronfman, and Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould.
The brief was to demonstrate that Lim's line went from day to night, so the Mother team took pictures of the influencers in different cities and different times of day. The photos were then stitched together. The cinemagraph features moving parts within the picture, such as balloons fluttering in the wind.
And of course, it's interactive. People tweeting at one of the influencers would see their tweets flash on a billboard within the installation, and even receive replies. Standing in front of a lamppost would yield people on the screen popping their heads out in unison, while playing with pinwheels stationed in front of the installation would cause birds to chirp.
The team has plans to take the installation digital so people can play with it online. The collection launches in Target stores Sept. 15.


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The US Patent & Trademark Office Trademark Trial & Appeal Board found that a consumer did not have standing to oppose an application for registration because the consumer failed to establish a commercial interest and injury that would be proximately caused by the registration of the mark. Rebecca Curtin v. United Trademark Holdings, Inc. (TTAB May 4, 2023) (Adlin, Lynch, Bunn, ATJs.)
Rebecca Curtin, a trademark law professor, has purchased various toys for her daughter. Curtin filed an opposition to United Trademark Holdings’ (UTH) application to register RAPUNZEL for use in connection with “dolls; toy figures.” Curtin alleged that RAPUNZEL fails to function as a trademark and is generic (or merely descriptive) of the identified goods and that UTH committed fraud. Curtin lamented that competition would be impeded if “private companies are allowed ‘to trademark the name of a famous fairytale character in the public domain,’” which would likely force consumers to pay higher prices for the relevant goods. Curtin also stated that allowing this registration “could chill the creation of new dolls and toys by fans of the Rapunzel fairytale, crowding out the substantial social benefit of having diverse interpreters of the fairytale’s legacy.”
More than four years ago, the Board denied UTH’s motion to dismiss, finding that Curtin had standing by relying on a case from 1999 that addressed the Trademark Act’s bar to registration for “immoral” or “scandalous” marks. Months after the Board’s initial decision, however, the Supreme Court ruled in Iancu v. Brunetti that the portion of the Trademark Act barring registration for “immoral” or “scandalous” marks was unconstitutional, and updates were issued on the “standard for determining whether a party is eligible to bring a statutory cause of action.”
A plaintiff has standing to oppose registration of a mark “when doing so is within the zone of interests protected by the statute and [opposer] has a reasonable belief in damage that would be proximately caused by registration of the mark.” Here, the Board explained that the statute at issue was the Trademark Act, which identifies its interest as regulating commerce and protecting plaintiffs with commercial interests: “[A] mere consumer that buys goods or services is not under the Trademark Act’s aegis.”
Moreover, Curtin failed to demonstrate that an injury would result from registration of the mark. The Board was unconvinced by Curtin’s explanations of the potential harm to competition and resulting higher prices for consumers, stating that the “allegations of damage are  too remote, because the alleged damage to Opposer depends first on the alleged effect of registration on other commercial doll markets or sellers.” The Board, therefore, dismissed the opposition.


text: Our Services Retail Health and Nutrition Strategy Going straight to the source: nutrition and food manufacturers August 9th, 2022 Laura Baddeley our Nutritionist, Emily Taylor (Buyer) and Eve Bransgrove (Group Operations Manager) attended the Metcash Food Expo on the Gold Coast. This event is one of the leading trade events for the food retail industry with all the big brands on display. Jennie Collis from Independent Grocers supported the ALPA representatives. We had the opportunity to share ALPA’s nutritional values with food manufacturers, those priorities being to help us improve the affordability and availability of healthy foods and drinks for our customers. It is so important for the food industry to be aware of the realities of doing business in the bush, where prices are higher due to higher freight, higher operational costs and significantly lower buying power compared to the leading supermarket chains. These challenges produce the existing price gap between remote and urban grocery stores. Food manufacturers can help remote stores reduce this price gap to make healthy options more affordable for remote communities. Food manufacturers are also in a powerful position to improve health outcomes across Australia. They decide how much sugar, salt and saturated fat goes into products. They influence how these products are sold to consumers. The ALPA team highlighted the pressing need to increase the availability of healthy options in the market, so we can make them available to our customers. Our team searched for new products that align with ALPA’s Health and Nutrition Policy and probed food manufacturers about product reformulation. 'When food manufacturers tweak their products to have less sugar, salt and/or saturated fat, it has a wide-reaching impact on population health. We have seen leading soft drink companies to reduce the sugar in their drinks by up to 40%!' How amazing if more companies did this? The Metcash Food Expo allowed us to advocate for these changes. Nutritionists can and should be working alongside food manufacturers to highlight nutrition concerns and work together to find solutions. We thank Metcash for providing our team with the opportunity to have these conversations.


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An investment fund that hid flaws in a computer application that set the fund's strategy for making trades has agreed to pay a $25 million SEC fine and pay back $217 million in losses suffe...
Google on Thursday patched nine bugs in Chrome and upgraded the most stable edition of the browser to version 9.
Branches of the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations are launching on Friday the 2011 Develop for Privacy Challenge, a competition for mobile application developers to address privacy concerns about mobile phones and other portable ...
The hacker group known as Chronic Dev Team has released code that lets any Apple device running the latest iOS firmware to load apps without having to go through the iTunes App Store.
Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Tab have so far waited pretty patiently for Google to upgrade the tablet from Froyo version of Android to Gingerbread. But it would seem one developer got a little too impatient waiting for the update, so got to work addi...
Microsoft has refreshed the Windows Azure software development kit to fix a bug that can expose cookie information to clients who have built applications on top of the cloud platform.
Research In Motion's BlackBerry WebWorks Application Platform lets developers use standard Web tools to create applications that work like native programs on RIM's smartphones and PlayBook tablets, company officials said Thursday.
With most tech bellwethers having reported financial results, the earnings season is coming to a close, but BMC, NetSuite, AOL and IAC results this week offered insights into aspects of business IT and the Internet sector.
Increased revenue will foster mergers and acquisitions in the technology space, according to a survey by accounting and consulting firm BDO USA that polled chief financial officers at technology firms.
Given all the hype SaaS (software as a service) has garnered, you might be inclined to think every category of software will be delivered predominantly from the cloud at some point. Not so, says a new Forrester Research report.
Microsoft has released a preview of the next version of its integrated package for small organizations, Windows Small Business Server 2011.
Routing issues, slow network applications, DNS resolution problems -- a network administrator has to deal with a host of network nuisances on a daily basis. How do you survive when you're constantly under the gun to fix the problems? Like any other p...
In January, Microsoft only released two security bulletins, but even at the time it was common knowledge that a number of known vulnerabilities were not yet addressed. In February, Microsoft is apparently catching up on patches for outstanding zero-d...
The data marketplace, where users can hunt for specialized data, is becoming a lucrative market with growing opportunities, technologists stressed at a Silicon Valley technical conference Wednesday.
Ubuntu and Dell have come up with a scheme to make it easier for Amazon EC2 customers to shift workloads to and from the cloud -- by shipping Dell servers preloaded with Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud software, or UEC.
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Norton has added a cryptocurrency mining feature to its antivirus software. Users will be able to mine Ethereum while their computers are idle. Miners can track and transfer their crypto earnings to their Norton crypto wallet.
Antivirus software can mine crypto
NortonLifeLock (NASDAQ:NLOK), a global cybersecurity company, on Wednesday announced the launch of Norton Crypto, a cryptocurrency mining facility, on the Norton 360 platform. The company explained:
Norton Crypto provides a secure, reliable way for consumers to own Ethereum… Once the cryptocurrency is earned, customers can track and transfer earnings to their Norton Crypto Wallet, which is stored in the cloud, So it cannot be lost due to hard drive failure.
According to Norton Crypto’s terms and conditions, the crypto feature “allows you to use the computing power of your personal computer for low volume cryptocurrency mining while maintaining the high level of security provided by your subscription.” Mining software will run whenever the computer is idle.
“We will periodically transfer your allocation of crypto, if any, to a digital wallet that we create for you,” Norton explained. “Each of these transfers (commonly referred to as ‘payouts’) is subject to our fee for providing Norton Crypto mining software. Our fee is currently 15% of the crypto transferred to you.” Norton owns and operates its own mining pool.
Norton LifeLock CEO Vincent Pillett commented: “As the crypto economy continues to become an important part of our customers’ lives, we want to empower them to own cryptocurrency with Norton.”
Gagan Singh, Chief Product Officer, NortonLifeLock said:
We are proud to be the first consumer cybersecurity company that provides coin makers the ability to securely and easily convert idle time on their PC into an opportunity to earn digital currency.
The company further clarified that starting Thursday, “Norton 360 customers will be invited to Ethereum in Norton’s early adopter event,” adding that “Norton Crypto is expected to be available to all Norton 360 customers in the coming weeks.” have hope.”
Would You Use Norton’s Software to Mine Ethereum? Let us know in the comments section below.
image credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, WikiCommons


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UAE has rolled out a new nationwide blockchain-based trade finance platform with an aim to combat fraud and financial crime risks such as duplicate or under-invoicing.
The UAE Trade Connect (UTC) is co-created by Etisalat Digital along with a consortium of seven leading local banks, led by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and global technology company Avanza Innovations.
The idea of the platform was first proposed by FAB to tackle key issues in the trade finance space and it overall took two years from concept to actual delivery. It started functioning after six months of trials.
The steering committee that oversaw the project consists of the Central Bank of the UAE, Commercial Bank International (CBI), Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Mashreq Bank, National Bank of Fujairah (NBF), and RAKBANK.
“The Central Bank promotes financial and monetary stability, efficiency and resilience in the financial system. The launch of the UTC digital trade platform is one of the key steps towards achieving this goal as it will help to minimize the risks of fraud inherent in the existing paper-based system in trade finance. It also reflects the banking sector’s commitment to step up the digital transformation process to prepare the UAE to enter into the new digital banking era.”
The platform is based on blockchain and other disruptive technologies enabling data to be shared in a secure manner. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) read invoices to identify duplications, frauds and dubious transactions within the banking trade finance offering.
Speaking at a webinar during the launch event, Zulqarnain Javaid, CEO of UTC, stated that the “UAE Trade Connect will be a game-changer for the trade finance space. This program was considered to be such an important part of digitization that even during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the banks committed their IT resources to it.”
Currently, the platform will focus on addressing the risks of double-financing and invoice fraud before turning to other key areas of trade finance, such as digitalizing bills of lading and e-invoices. UTC is aimed at driving the digital transformation of trade in the UAE by enabling banks, enterprises and government authorities to collectively benefit from future technologies.
Reda Ezzat, SVP and head of Trade & Structured Finance at Mashreq, highlighted how the UTC will aid SMEs in the UAE, “globally, SMEs represent 90 percent of all business worldwide. They contribute 40 percent of the GDP in developing countries; in the UAE, the same data applies. A key challenge for SMEs is access to finance. The UTC will help banks in the UAE improve their risk appetite, and this will reflect on SMEs getting easier access to finance.”


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The provision of a 10% VAT refund when purchasing goods and services through electronic means is slated to take effect.
The programme of VAT return on electronic purchases was introduced into the budget for fiscal year 2076-77 by then Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada. With effect from Paush 25, 2076, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) adopted a process to refund VAT to consumers who make payments through electronic means.
IRD has moved forward with implementing the 10% VAT return provision on electronic payments after 19 months of writing the procedure. IRD has issued a notice today urging businesspeople, consumers, and stakeholders to execute it.
Taxpayers can register for VAT and join the department’s approved system of generating electronic invoices. The department has asked that vendors who accept payments using electronic payment methods such as debit/credit cards and QR codes restore 10% of VAT to the customer’s bank account automatically.